Details for: Wiener Wallfahrerweg

Description

To provide an alternative to the street march on the Via Sacra, the, with the Number 6 marked, Viennese Wallfahrerweg resulted in 1975 through the Weitwanderer-Organisation of the Alpine-club. This route runs to Kaumberg at close range to the Via Sacra. Then the route continues through Untersberg - Rohr im Gebirge - Sankt Aegyd am Neuwald away from the historic Wallfahrerstraße with marked tourist paths and side roads. There are variants between Maria Raisenmarkt and the Unterberg of Weissenbach via Furth and Muggendorf. These routes touch scenic highlights and avoid the strenuous ascent between Araburg and Kieneck. The lower Austrian Wallfahrerweg connects between Türnitz and the Walster the Via Sacra pilgrimage with the Viennese Wallfahrerweg.

Physical demands:

Easy walking paths in the Wienerwald, but more demanding tourist routes in the Voralpen of Kieneck and Unterberg. Many forest roads and side roads starting from Rohr im Gebirge. Duration of three to four days with athletic walking performances, daily output around 25 km.

Via Mayerling and Maria Raisenmarkt is a junction reached at Holzschlag (junctions to the variant Peilstein - Furth, see 2. Day). From Nöstach the tour turns to the Wallfahrtskirche Hafnerberg (3 hours). Via Altenmarkt and Thenneberg (Kirche Dornau), the shortest valley route is accomplished along the Triesting to Kaumberg (2 ½ hours). The path takes longer from Hafnerberg past the former/newly rebuilt Stift (abbey) Kleinmariazell and the St. Coronastraße to Kaumberg (3 ½ hours). Overnight stay close by in the Talstrecke in Thenneberg or Kaumberg; Kleinmariazell possible as well, after which the 2nd stage is very long (the other possibilities in Nöstach require an additional day stage).

After the still comfortably achieved, Araburg (1 hour from Kaumberg, with hostel and possible overnight stay) the more difficult section of Viennesse Wallfahrerweg begins - a long ridge hike with a steep climb up to the Kieneck (since September 2009 with water supply) with the Enzianhütte (hut) (3 ½ hours) and the slightly easier transition to the Unterberghaus (2 hours). On the Unterberg, the pre-Alpine highlight of this tour is reached, because as off that point the path leads down into the valley to Rohr im Gebirge (2 hours).

Accommodation possibilities: Inns in Rohr im Gebirge or in the following Alpengasthof (inn) Kalte Kuchl.

Variant Peilstein - Furth (overnight stay in the Peilsteinhaus or in Weissenbach or Furth): From Maria Raisenmarkt to the Peilsteinhaus (3 hours from Heiligenkreuz), via Neuhaus to Weissenbach on the Triesting and to Furth/Schromenau (3 hours). Here further route junctions - direct route through the Further- and Staffgraben, steeply up to the Kieneck with the Enzianhütte (hut) (3 ½ hours) and onwards to the Unterberghaus (2 hours). More interesting and easier is the hike in the Steinwandgraben via Gasthof (inn) Jagasitz/Kreuth to Thal to the Gasthof (inn) Karnerwirt situated above the Myrafälle in Muggendorf to the Unterberghaus (6 hours).

Simple paths lead forward from Rohr im Gebirge to Kalten Kuchl with the Alpengasthof (inn) Rieder and the "Via Sacra- and Holzknecht-Museum" (1 ½ hours). From there one reaches, with low altitude differences (but without refreshment possibilities) past Werasöd to the secluded grounds of the Greens and dry Schwarza. From Tiefental, the route goes through the Finstergundgraben to the first mountainous route of this stage, over a saddle past the Hochreit into the Traisental. After which, there are only forest roads and side roads all the way to St. Aegyd am Neuwald (4 hours). The Waldgraben (path) of the Unrecht Traisen leads, only right at the end steeply, to the Kernhofer Gscheid pass (2 ½ hours). Accommodation can be found in Sankt Aegyd or on the Gscheid pass (last accommodation chance before Mariazell). Once in St.Aegyd, one can reach the Gscheid pass directly through Kernhof. In Sankt Aegyd a circuit leads through the Weißenbachtal (valley) over the Luegg to Kernhof and back to St. Aegyd.

After the Gscheid pass, one follows a road route, which runs along until it branches off onto forest roads and continues over the Krumbachsattel to finally reach the Walstertal (convergence of the Falkenschluchtweges of Türnitz). The route along the Hubertussee (lake) running presently on asphalt continues until the Bruder-Klaus-Kirche (2 ½ hours; with possibility of overnight stay in Fadental with connecting trail through the Schwarzwalster, an additional 1 ¼ hours). An option as well, is the road walk through the Rechengraben, which in spite of car transport is often chosen (2 ½ hours). Hence, the transition from the Walsertal (half an hour after the Klaus-Kirche branching off) is a better choice on the only moderately strenuous Habertheuersattel (mountain ridge) to the Sebastianiweg, and on which one continues to the Mariazeller Gnadenkirche (church) (2 ¾ hours).